Occupants of a vehicle traveling southbound on the Eureka Slough Bridge at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday saw a man jump off the bridge.

It appeared that the male did a backflip off the bridge.

It is unknown whether the actions were intentional or if it was kinetic motion necessitated by an accidental fall. The witness pulled in to the Target parking lot to investigate and saw the subject standing on the sandbar between the two channels. He was waving his hands above his head, which gave the witness the impression that he did not suffer severe injury. The witness called the EPD.

Several patrol officers were dispatched, as well as a fire engine that was in the vicinity. The subject was not located.

At about 3:38 p.m., a subject kayaking in the slough discovered a deceased male, floating in the water, about 100 yards from the Eureka Slough Bridge. Eureka Police Department officers located the deceased person and contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office boat patrol. The boat patrol recovered the body.

The deceased man has been identified as 36-year-old Edward Conoboy from Arcata.

This incident is being investigated by the Humboldt County Coroner's Office as either a suicide or accidental drowning. The EPD's Investigations Unit is assisting the coroner's office. The EPD is looking for witnesses who may have been in contact with Conoboy earlier in the day or anyone else who may have seen activity on the bridge or along the shoreline of the slough near the bridge.

The EPD is asking anyone with information about this case to call EPD Senior Investigator Ron Harpham at 441-4305.